Switched At Birth
by Yuri-hime
Summary: Two lives forever changed by one simple yet complicated mistake
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** - I do not own Mai Hime. It is owned by Sunrise.

**Author's note** - Okay so this story is _definitely_ AU. Expect the unexpected in it. I had one of those sudden inspirations that like to hit you upside the head, while I was watching a tv show last night. And even though I have a number of other stories to continue (oh _Sexy Lady_ please wait for me!), I just _had_ to write this story idea down and see where it took me. Hope you all enjoy where it goes as well ^^

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><p><strong>Switched At Birth<strong>

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><p>"Mom! I'm going to go hang out with Nao and Mai at the movies! I'll be back late tonight!" Natsuki Fujino called out as she ran down the spiraling staircase of her family's mansion. She grabbed her black leather jacket from the foot of the stairs, and made a beeline for the front door.<p>

"Ara ara, Natsuki dear. Slow down before you run straight into the door. And please don't stay out too late dear. Please make sure to call when you're on you way home. Oh, and be sure to take your jacket with you...ah, I see you already have it. Though I do wish you would wear a jacket more...befitting of a young lady your age," Kimiko Fujino commented in her soft Kyoto-ben, as she watched her headstrong daughter toss a quick wave over her shoulder, and slip quickly out the front door.

Kimiko sighed softly before she turned and began making her way towards the family's expansive kitchen, calling out to her husband as she went along.

"Honey I'm going to start dinner, what would you like to eat tonight?"

A gruff male voice sounded from the top of the stairs, and Kimiko smiled softly in agreement of what was suggested for dinner, as she entered the kitchen to begin cooking.

**~o~**

"Shizuru? Shizuru! Shizuru, come on lemme use the bathroom already! I've been waiting out here for like...ever!" Yuuichi Kuga called out, as he banged on the upstairs bathroom door. "Alyssa is using the one downstairs, and you _know_ how long she usually takes," Yuuichi continued to gripe, as he did a little dance while holding the front of his pants.

Finally the bathroom door opened, and a billowing cloud of steam spread outward, veiling for a few seconds a beautiful young girl wrapped only in a white towel.

"Yuuichi...my dear _sweet_ brother...could you _please_ not bang so loudly on the door while I'm taking a shower. A young lady must be fresh and clean after she has been out all day," Shizuru Kuga remarked softly, as she moved passed her older brother.

Yuuichi stopped doing his dance for a few seconds to look after Shizuru's slowly walking figure, before he shook his head lightly and muttered to himself.

_Sometimes, Shizuru...you don't act like you're even really part of this family...  
><em>

**~o~**

"I can't believe your parents actually allowed you to come out to this club, Natsuki!" a busty, fiery-haired young woman shouted into her best friend's ear as they bounced, swayed, and danced to the loud thumping club beats.

"She probably lied to them," a redhead with startling-green eyes commented from Natsuki's other side, as she sipped at a margarita.

"Shut up, Nao! How the hell did you even get an alcoholic drink in the first place?" Natsuki huffed, but continued to allow her body to sway freely to the music. She almost never got a chance to just...let loose like this. Her parents were just so..._stifling_...and seemed to have a thousand and one different rules for her.

"The same way we got into this slammin' club, my friend! Fakies," Nao said with a wide, shit-eating grin.

Natsuki allowed a laugh to slip passed her lips, before she grinned back at her friend.

_Sometimes...with how differently I act from my parents, and even how we all look...sometimes...I wonder if I'm even truly part of this family..._

Natsuki then shook her head, and allowed the negative thoughts to flow away from her mind, and continued to dance the night away.

**~o~**

It was almost midnight before Natsuki quietly turned the lock to the front door. If she could slip the lock _just_ the right way, she could sneak quietly back into the house.

The raven-haired girl managed to slip the lock quietly in, and she silently stepped through the front door and into the front parlour of the house.

The entire house was in pitch darkness, and Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief as she began slipping forward to sneak upstairs to her bedroom. But of course things couldn't keep going this well for her, Natsuki lamented to herself as the light to the living-room suddenly flipped on, and she saw the unhappy-looking face of her father.

"Natsuki Fujino, you are in _big_ trouble, young lady."

**~o~**

"So your Dad grounded you for a whole month?" Nao asked as she walked alongside her sable-haired friend, as they walked up the front pathway to Fuuka High.

"My Mom wanted to make it just two weeks. But you know how anally strict my Dad is. I swear, Nao! Sometimes I almost wish they weren't my parents. No true parent of mine would ground me for this long!" Natsuki wailed melodramatically.

"Oi Fujino, watch out!" Nao exclaimed as she watched Natsuki plow right into another person, and the two of them went toppling over.

"Hey, hey watch where you're going!" a sandy-haired boy cried out, as he rushed to a chestnut-haired girl's side. He leaned down and carefully helped the girl to stand back up onto her feet.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't see you...there..." Natsuki trailed off, as she looked at the most amazingly-beautiful girl she had ever seen in her entire life.

"It's quite alright, I wasn't really looking where I was going either," the honey-haired girl before Natsuki replied softly, as she lightly dusted off the front of her school uniform.

"Uhh...my name is Natsuki by the way. Natsuki Fujino. Did you and this oaf...er I mean this 'polite' young man, just transfer to this school? Because I haven't seen someone as beautifu...ahh...as pretty...ah, as nice-looking as you here before," Natsuki stammered out, as she wished a massive black hole would just open up beneath her and swallow her whole.

"Smooth, Fujino. _Real_ smoooth," Nao snickered softly beside her, while enjoying watching her ebony-haired friend flounder.

The chestnut-haired girl allowed a brief smile to cross her lips, while the guy beside her scowled deeply at Natsuki.

"My name is _Yuuichi_. Not _oaf_. And I'm her big brother. Come on, Shizuru. This little shrimp is going to make us late for our first day of class," the sandy-haired boy exclaimed, as he lightly took Shizuru's arm into his hand, and gently began tugging her to the front steps of the school.

_Shizuru..._Natsuki lightly tasted the honey-haired girl's name on her tongue, as she watched the two walk away.

"Methinks that someone is now smitten," Nao hummed lightly into her ear.

Natsuki shook her head slightly to snap herself out of the small daze she'd fallen into, before she scowled at her red-haired friend.

"N-No I'm not. You're cracked in the head," Natsuki huffed, as she started walking swiftly to the entrance of the school.

Nao had to hurry to catch up, and she made sure to tease her raven-haired friend the entire way towards the school.

**~o~**

"So, this new girl that Nao says you're totally smitten with is in our class?" a small, hacking cough interrupted the speaker on Natsuki's cellphone from continuing.

"Yeah, Mai...and no I'm not _smitten_ dammit. I'm going to wring Nao's neck when I see her tomorrow," Natsuki muttered under her breath, as she pedaled her bike up the long walkway to her family's home. Her bike was one of the _very_ few things she'd been able to convince her parents to let her have, that was completely _her_ own thing. They would have _much_ preferred her to be limo-driven to school, but Natsuki wasn't having any of that. Her bicycle was one of her only true 'freedoms', and she cherished it dearly. Though what she actually _truly_ wanted was a sleek midnight-blue and black Ducati, she'd seen in a motorbike racing magazine that she'd managed to smuggle into her room, even under her father's ever-watchful eye.

"Well, let me let you get back to resting, Mai. I hope you get over your cold soon," Natsuki said as she stopped her bike before the house, reached into her pocket to pull out a remote garage key, and opened the wide garage door.

Mai said goodbye and Natsuki ended the call, as she parked her bike beside her father's expensive BMW. She then pressed the button on the remote key again, and watched for a few seconds as the garage door slid shut. She then entered into the house by the inside garage door and stepped into the front parlour, raising her arms in huge stretch as she tossed her school bag which had been on her back, onto the floor by the front door.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Natsuki called out, as she began to make her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Natsuki dear, before you head up to your room could you please come here for a few minutes," Natsuki's mother's soft voice called out from the living-room.

Natsuki let out a slightly-annoyed sigh but she backtracked, came back down the stairs, and headed towards the living-room to see what her mother wanted.

What she found was her father sitting in his richly-cushion wooden-chair, with her mother standing quietly behind his chair.

_My parents are actually pretty good-looking people,_ Natsuki thought idly to herself as she looked at her father's strikingly-imposing figure, even seated in a chair. He had hair the colour of softly-spun gold, and eyes that usually glowered a deep mahogany-brown. Her mother was very petite compared to her father, and she had eyes that were the colour of a highly-polished ruby. Her waves of curly chestnut-coloured hair always made the dark-haired girl feel slightly unhappy. Why couldn't her own dark locks match up to her mother's soft, honey-coloured curls?

"Natsuki, we need to talk," her father said in that low, rumbling way that always alerted the emerald-eyed girl that this was _not_ a conversation she was going to enjoy. Those kinds of conversations usually ended up with her either being grounded, or her father expressing his _deep_ disappointment in her for one thing or the other.

"Natsuki, you know that I don't like to waste words in anything with you. So, I'll get straight to the point. You're mother and I...well mainly _I_...decided to go ahead and do something that has been nagging at us...me...for years now. We went and took a blood test, and compared the results of our blood to yours, using the blood sample our family doctor had for you."

Natsuki felt a sudden unpleasant shiver run down her spine, and her head began feeling light and uncomfortably hot.

Her father continued, as he sat staring piercingly into her eyes.

"There really isn't any easy way for me to say this but...I'm sorry, Natsuki...but you're not a Fujino."

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><p><strong>AN<strong> - The end? Lol, as I said this was just a sudden on-the-spot inspiration fic. I haven't thought of really much of a plot beyond this, but I could try to figure one out ^^

There are a couple of vague ideas in my head, and actually if any of you have any suggestions, I'm totally open to them =3

That is if you all want me to continue this story, and just see where it goes ^^

Thanks for reading either way, and please review =3


	2. Chapter 2

"Can you believe how that girl, the Fujino chick, was ogling you Shizuru? All through first period today, and even during gym class her eyes just seemed to follow you _everywhere_. I mean yeah, she's kinda hot-looking, but still! I'm your big brother and so it's my _duty_ to look out for you. And I wasn't really appreciating how much _looking_ this girl was doing at you," Yuuichi ranted with a frown on his face, as he and his chestnut-haired sister walked along the path leading away from Fuuka High, and leading to Fuuka Elementary to pick up their younger sister.

Shizuru chuckled softly under her breath, before looking fondly up at her brother.

"You do a fine and gallant job of protecting my...virtues...Yuuichi dear. But you really shouldn't concern yourself so much with me. I'm fine. The fresh air of this new town has been good for me. I haven't had a seizure or an attack all day. I can look out for myself here, and besides...I think that girl was kind of 'hot-looking' myself," Shizuru replied with a light, teasing smile.

Yuuichi grumped quietly under his breath, but didn't argue back with his sister's reasoning. As long as she was feeling okay, then he would force himself not to worry.

"Ah, there she is! Our sweet, adorable, terror of a little sister! Come here, you lil munchkin!" Yuuichi cried out suddenly, as he and Shizuru approached the entrance to the elementary school, and saw a small blond-haired girl standing patiently outside waiting. The girl's luminous blue eyes lit up with pleasure, and she made a beeline run straight into her brother's arms, who flung her high up into the air.

"Hiya Yuuichi! Shizuru!" Alyssa Kuga cried out happily, as she stretched a bit in Yuuichi's arms towards her sister. Shizuru bestowed upon her little sister a bright, winning smile as she leaned forward, and took the 10-year-old into her arms, and cuddled her lightly.

"And how did our favourite little sister do in her classes today?" Shizuru asked, as she gently stroked her fingers through Alyssa's soft, golden locks.

Alyssa purred happily at her sister's gentle strokes, as she slipped her small arms around Shizuru's neck, and chirped a reply.

"Favourite sister? Silly Shizuru, I'm your _only_ little sister," Alyssa giggled as she reached out once again, and was happily taken back into Yuuichi's arms.

"You're also a lil troublemaker, squirt. When we get home you're gonna have to explain to Mom why all the milk and cereal is done. She thinks _I_ did it, when it was of course a certain bottomless-pit named Alyssa!" Yuuichi exclaimed as he continued to swing his giggling sister high up into the air.

Shizuru looked at her laughing brother and sister, and felt a well of happiness spring up inside of her. She breathed out a softly-content sigh, feeling a surge of gratitude that she had such a wonderful and amazing family, that also included their mother.

_She wouldn't give up her family for the world._

**~o~**

"Duran, Duran! Will you be a good boy, _please_," Saeko Kuga exclaimed in pure exasperation as the little, black Labrador puppy ran in happy circles around her feet. Saeko had bought the puppy recently as a present for Alyssa, and while her youngest daughter loved the pup dearly, it was usually Saeko who had to go around cleaning up after the mayhem and destruction the pup caused in his over-exuberance.

"I just had to get a dog, didn't I. Not like having and raising three kids wasn't work enough," Saeko muttered to herself before she heaved a deep sigh, and bent down to lightly ruffle her fingers through Duran's soft fur causing the puppy to make soft, contented sounds in the back of his throat.

Saeko allowed a small smile to cross her lips as she looked down at the pup, but then her green eyes flashed up quickly when the front door to her small yet comfortable home opened, and all three of her children walked in.

Saeko's smile grew and she opened her arms to welcome the bundle of happy, blond energy that jumped into her arms.

"Mommy! We're home!" Alyssa cried out, as she happily cuddled into her mother's arms. Saeko chuckled lightly, before she slowly stood while holding tightly onto her daughter's hand.

"Yes, you are sweetheart. Also welcome home, Yuuichi and Shizuru. How was your first day at the new high school?" Saeko asked, as she leaned forward to receive a kiss on the cheek from her son. Saeko then leaned forward and gently kissed Shizuru on her forehead, and gave her eldest daughter a tender, softly-worried smile.

"And how did you hold up health-wise, Shizuru dear? No sudden attacks? Did you need your inhaler at any point during the day?"

Shizuru leaned forward and gave her mother a light kiss on the cheek in greeting, before she shook her head, causing her chestnut curls to bounce lightly about her face.

"No Mother, nothing happened at school today. The air in Fuuka is very good. I only needed to use my inhaler once during lunch, and other than that no attacks or sudden seizures. The air here actually reminds me a bit of the clean air at Grandpa's place. Though no air can ever come close to the fresh mountain air that surrounds Grandpa's home," Shizuru replied with a soft smile, as she followed her mother and sister into the kitchen, where Yuuichi was already sitting around the kitchen table munching on an apple.

"Young man, you're going to ruin your appetite for dinner, if you start eating everything in sight now," Saeko scolded lightly as she let go of Alyssa's hand, and instructed her youngest daughter to go upstairs to wash up and change.

Alyssa happily complied and sped off to the stairs, taking them two at a time, the best her little legs could.

Saeko smiled indulgently after her youngest child, before she turned back to her oldest daughter. "And I'll always be grateful to your grandfather for taking you into his home in Kyoto every summer. The fresh, clean air up there always does wonders for your health. And it's also where you picked up your adorable Kyoto-ben accent and those impeccable manners, that a certain young man could stand to acquire himself," Saeko said as she looked pointedly at Yuuichi.

"H-Hey! I have good manners. Tell her, Shizuru. I do!" Yuuichi exclaimed, as both his mother and sister started giggling at him.

The three of them then set about making dinner, and setting up the dinner table in their small living-room, which they always tried to do together. So that by the time Alyssa came back downstairs all washed up and clean, and both Shizuru and Yuuichi had had their chance to also go upstairs to clean and change, dinner was ready and set at the table.

The small, close-knit family then sat down at the table, said thank you for the food and dug in, happily talking with each other about how their day, and what they were looking forward to for the next.

**~o~**

Natsuki was in a world of inconsolable hurt. Her mother...who the ebony-haired girl now knew wasn't really her _true_ mother...had already come by to see her. Kimiko had gently rubbed her _daughter's_ back, as Natsuki had sobbed herself to sleep in the darkness of her bedroom. Kimiko had also reprimanded her husband for the harsh and almost cruel way he had broken the news to Natsuki.

Ichiro Fujino had been apologetic to a point, but also stated that Kimiko _knew_ that this was just how he was. Yes, he still loved Natsuki. She _was_ his daughter no matter if they weren't actually blood-related. He was a man of honour and deep morals, and he had raised Natsuki as his _own_. And she would always be one of his own. But he also reminded Kimiko that they _did_ have 'another' daughter somewhere out there. Their _real_ child. And they now had to do _everything_ within their power to find her and bring her home.

For the next two weeks Natsuki stayed home, locked in her darkened room, trying to make sense of her life now.

She was no longer a 'Fujino'.

That's what her _father_ had said. Yes, he'd come back later that same day, and apologized to her and taken back his harsh, unkind words. He'd also reassured her while standing beside her mother that he _did_ indeed love her. And that he still considered her their daughter but...they also now had to search for their 'other' child.

Natsuki's throat had closed up at hearing that her 'parents' were now going to search for their 'real' child, but she had just nodded her head that she understood. She'd then thrown herself onto her bed and cried her broken heart out, when her parents had left her room.

Nao and Mai were incredibly worried about their best friend, and tried to come over to see her multiple times. However Natsuki would always have an excuse why she couldn't see them when they came over. Finally Mai and Nao stopped trying and decided to give Natsuki the space she obviously wanted, until she was ready to see and speak with them again.

Her parents didn't try to force her to go to school during this hard, adjustment period for them all. Her father was busy trying to trace down the hospital mistake that had been made, that had caused he and his wife to bring home another family's baby. All he had really been able to find out so far, was that someone had apparently put the wrong name tag on each child's foot. And because both children were newborn, and hadn't had any hair on their small heads yet, they both looked like any other baby in the newborn care room.

Kimiko spent most of her days trying to coax Natsuki out of her room, and when that didn't always work she would sit with her, and pour over old family albums full of pictures of Natsuki growing up happily in their family. Finally, by the end of the two weeks of hurt and sadness, Natsuki began to truly _feel_ the love her _parents_ still had for her. She was no longer really worried about them 'disowning' her, now that they knew they had another 'real' daughter out there.

And truthfully now, Natsuki was beginning to wonder about _her_ real parents and family. What were they like? Were they nice? Would she fit in better with them? Did they have the same quirks and interests as she did? Did she have any siblings she didn't know about?

All her life, Natsuki had felt...different...the oddball out. Now she had a truly valid reason _why_ she'd always felt that way.

So, at the beginning of the third week of her self-imposed exile, Natsuki decided to go back to school.

Mai and Nao were of course incredibly happy to see their friend again, and bombarded her with questions as to what had happened to her, and if she was okay now. Natsuki decided to tell her friends about everything that had happened, but she'd wait until she could do it in the privacy of her room at a later date.

And of course upon her return to classes, Natsuki saw _her_ again.

Shizuru Kuga.

She'd completely forgotten the new girl had joined her class, as she'd struggled with her self-identity over the last couple of weeks. But seeing the honey-haired girl once again, unleashed that feeling within her that caused her face to flush an attractive pink, as Shizuru waved at her and came over to her desk.

"Welcome back, Natsuki. It's been a while since I last saw you. Were you out sick? I hope you're feeling better now, if you were," the gorgeous chestnut-haired girl said to Natsuki, who was now busy trying to bring her tongue back into her mouth. The dark-haired girl quickly closed her mouth, as she numbly nodded her head.

"A-Ah yes, I was...out sick. But I'm feeling better now, thanks for asking," Natsuki replied, as she looked shyly down at her desk. She then started slightly when she felt a gentle touch, lightly pushing the curtain of hair that had fallen before her face away.

"Natsuki looks very cute when she's blushing. Would you like to come over to my house after school today, and I can help you catch up on all that you missed out on while you were sick?" Shizuru asked with a soft smile, that held only a hint of teasing in it.

Natsuki nodded numbly again, her brain having derailed at Shizuru's soft touch and teasing words.

"Alright then, so I'll meet Natsuki at the front of the school after classes. Later Na...stu...ki," Shizuru said with a lightly-teasing smile, as she sauntered slowly away. Natsuki then heard the disgruntled voice of the boy she now remembered was Shizuru's brother, asking why his sister was talking with that 'shrimp' over there.

Natsuki completely blocked his voice and words from her mind. She instead allowed herself to slip off into a blissful state, as she replayed in her mind the feeling of Shizuru's touch going through her hair over and over again.

Mai and Nao were right...she had it _bad_.

Natsuki Fujino was _completely_ smitten with Shizuru Kuga.

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><p><strong>AN<strong> - Thank you all so much for your wonderful response to my first chapter! It truly motivated me to get this next chapter out for you all as quickly as I could (**Sexy Lady**, I _swear_ I'm coming back for you next!)

I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter, and please review to let me know what you all thought of it ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Natsuki waited nervously in front of the school once classes were over for the day. She glanced down at her watch, and tapped her foot lightly as she looked around for Shizuru, so that they could go to the honey-brunette's home.

Natsuki had let it slip during her lunch period to Mai and Nao that she had been invited over to Shizuru's house, so that the chestnut-haired girl could help her catch up on all the work she had missed over the last two weeks.

It was a _huge_ mistake on her part to have said _anything_ to her two friends, as they immediately began teasing her about going over to the house of her 'crush'.

Natsuki let out a small huff of annoyance, as she remembered the good-natured ribbing she'd received from her friends for the rest of the lunch period.

Natsuki looked around herself once more, beginning to wonder if Shizuru had actually already left without her. Natsuki's heart began to sink a bit at that thought, but then she was startled as soft hands came up and covered her eyes from behind.

"Peek-a-boo, guess who Natsuki?" a honey-sweet voice sing-songed in her ear, and Natsuki felt a small grin pull up the corners of her lips.

"Could it be someone who is about to get the tickle of her life!" Natsuki exclaimed as she twisted her body around, taking the honey-haired girl behind her by surprise, and proceeded to tickle Shizuru along her waist.

Shizuru did her best to hold her laughter in, and began squirming around to escape Natsuki's grasp, but she found she was caught securely, and so she stopped fighting it and burst out laughing.

Natsuki grinned brightly as she watched the girl before her giggling and wiggling about at her touch, and it was only when small tears of laughter appeared at the corners of Shizuru's eyes, did Natsuki finally stop her tickle attack.

Shizuru let out a few, stray giggles as she wiped gently at the corners of her eyes. She then looked up at Natsuki and returned her bright grin.

"That will teach me _not_ to sneak up on you anymore," Shizuru said with a light chuckle, as she rearranged her schoolbag on her shoulder, and motioned for Natsuki to start following her down the walkway away from their school.

"Darn right it does," Natsuki agreed with a small, smug skip to her steps.

Shizuru covered her lips to hide a small giggle, as she watched how cute the girl beside her was being. She had decided that she really did like Natsuki Fujino, and she had actually found herself missing the dark-haired girl when she had been absent from school for those two weeks. She hadn't even really meant to ask Natsuki over to her home to catch up on all the work she had missed. The invite had just kind of slipped out but she was glad that it had, as she now had the perfect reason to get to know the ebony-haired girl better.

She was looking forward to it.

"So, where's that over-protective brother of yours today?" Natsuki asked, as she strolled along by Shizuru's side.

"Oh, Yuuichi? He had kendo practice after school today," Shizuru replied, as she led Natsuki to the front of Fuuka Elementary.

"Ah, okay. Say, what are we doing here at the elementary school? I thought we were going to your house?" Natsuki asked, as she looked around curiously at all the younger kids leaving the school either with family members, friends, or walking along on their own.

"We're here to pick up my little sister," Shizuru answered as a bright smile lit up her face, and she bent down with her arms held wide open, as a bundle of excited energy seemed to fly into her arms.

Natsuki blinked down at the happy little blond in Shizuru's arms, who turned brilliantly-blue eyes up towards her.

"Hi! My name is Alyssa! What's yours? Are you a friend of my big sis?" the little bundle of energy exclaimed, as she looked curiously up at Natsuki.

"Ahh, yeah I'm a...friend...of your sister's. My name is Natsuki. It's nice to meet you, Alyssa," Natsuki replied, once she got over her initial shock at finding out that Shizuru had a younger sibling. The raven-haired girl then leaned down, and gave Alyssa a slightly-crooked grin.

"Your big sis invited me to come over to your house today, to help me with some work I missed while I was out from school," Natsuki explained, as she reached forward and gently ruffled her fingers through Alyssa's baby-soft, golden locks.

Alyssa grinned at Natsuki, as she enjoyed the gentle feel of Natsuki's fingers running through her hair.

"I like Natsuki, Shizuru. She's nice!" Alyssa exclaimed as she reached forward, and wrapped her small hand around Natsuki larger one.

Natsuki blinked in surprise at this sudden proclamation by the younger girl, before her face flamed in embarrassment.

Shizuru chuckled lightly as she reached down, and took her little sister's free hand into her own.

"Let's all head to the house then," Shizuru said as she gently tugged Alyssa forward, who in turn tugged on Natsuki's hand causing the ebony-haired girl to rise back up into a standing position, to follow the two light-haired girls home.

**~o~o~o~**

"Mom, we're home! Mom? Mother?" Shizuru called out as she unlocked the front door to her home with her house key, and looked around for her mother.

"Mommy, we're here!" Alyssa cried out as she bounced into the house behind Shizuru, with Natsuki following closely behind the two sisters.

Natsuki took a few moments to look around Shizuru's home, which had a warm comfortable feel to it. She could tell that a lot of love and care had gone into making this place feel like a true home, and she was curious to meet Shizuru's parents to see what they were like.

The urge and desire to meet her own 'true' birth parents continued to grow within her everyday, and she hoped and dreaded in equal parts, the day that she would possibly meet them. Hope, so that she could _finally_ meet the people who had brought her into the world, and see if she was really more like 'them' than she was like her 'current' parents. And dread, because she worried that they wouldn't want to actually see or meet her. That maybe they were happy with the child they were currently raising, and so would want absolutely nothing to do with Natsuki.

Natsuki shook her head to rid herself of these increasingly depressing thoughts. She was here to work with Shizuru. Not mope around in her house.

"Mother left a note on the fridge. It appears that she's gone to the store to get some supplies for dinner tonight. She won't be back for a while. Mother rarely ever 'just' goes to the store. She usually gets distracted running a myriad of errands," Shizuru said with a fond chuckle, as she thought of her easily-distracted mother.

"Ah well, that's okay. I'll meet her another time then, I guess," Natsuki replied, as she gave Shizuru a smile.

"So, Natsuki plans to come over again another time?" Shizuru asked with a teasing grin.

Natsuki blinked, and then blushed lightly as she gave Shizuru a small scowl.

"I-I guess. Maybe...I don't know! If you don't mind the company...I guess...I would..." Natsuki trailed off, as she looked down at the ground.

Natsuki then started slightly, when she felt a light and gentle touch against her cheek. She raised her head and eyes back up, to be pinned by Shizuru's intense gaze and soft smile.

"I would be _very_ happy if Natsuki decided to come over to visit me again sometime," Shizuru said softly, as she allowed her thumb to gently stroke down the side of Natsuki's cheek. Shizuru then seemed to realize what her thumb was doing, and she immediately dropped her hand from Natsuki's face. A light blush stained her cheeks, which Natsuki found looked absolutely adorable.

_I wonder if that's why she seems to enjoy teasing me so much...to get me to blush. Because she looks **really** cute when she's blushing herself_...Natsuki thought to herself, with a light grin.

"Sis! I'm hungry. When's Mom coming back?" Alyssa popped back up between Shizuru and Natsuki, and gave her big sister a small pout.

"She'll be back home in a little bit, Alyssa. Why don't you go wash up, and I'll prepare a light snack for you?" Shizuru said in an affectionate tone, as she bent down before her sister, and lightly ran her fingers through her golden tresses.

Alyssa's eyes lit up and she jumped forward to give her big sister a tight hug, before she raced off upstairs to wash up and change.

Natsuki let out a light chuckle, as she watched Shizuru's hyperactive sister take off up the stairs two at a time. "She really loves you, ya know. I can see it as plain as day," Natsuki said in a slightly-wistful tone. "I never had any brothers or sisters growing up, so it's always nice to see other people's close relationships with their siblings."

Shizuru rose to her feet and stared at Natsuki for a few contemplative seconds, not really sure how to respond to Natsuki's sudden pensive mood.

Natsuki laughed a bit nervously then, embarrassed that she had once again allowed herself to slip into a melancholic state of mind.

"Come on, Natsuki. You can help me prepare a light snack for Alyssa and ourselves. We'll need the nourishment to study," Shizuru said finally, as she reached forward and slipped her hand into Natsuki's, giving the sable-haired girl's hand a warm squeeze.

Natsuki nodded and smiled back at Shizuru, and let herself be gently tugged towards the kitchen.

Two hours later, after doing intensive revision and studying upstairs in Shizuru's room, Natsuki was passed out on the honey-brunette's bed. She had exhausted herself studying, and had drifted off to sleep face-down on her school work at Shizuru's low table. Shizuru had affectionately smiled down at Natsuki's lightly-snoring form, before she'd gently nudged the navy-haired girl into brief wakefulness, and helped her stumble over to the bed.

Shizuru had heard her mother finally come home then, and had gone downstairs to help her with all the groceries and supplies she'd brought home.

When Saeko heard that her eldest daughter had a new friend over she'd been excited, and rushed upstairs immediately to meet this new friend. But once Saeko saw the figure huddled fast asleep beneath Shizuru's blanket with her back turned towards the door, Saeko didn't have the heart to awaken the young girl. She resolved that she'd meet her another time.

In the meantime Saeko decided she needed to shower. She'd been out on the road all day, and just wanted to wash away the grime of a long, hot day from her body.

While she was showering Natsuki woke up, lightly rubbing her sleep-filled eyes. She looked around Shizuru's darkened room, and started slightly as she realized how late it had gotten.

She had to get home so her parents wouldn't get too worried about her.

Natsuki packed her school supplies back into her bag, and headed downstairs in search of Shizuru.

"Ah, you're finally awake sleepyhead," Shizuru teased lightly, as she placed three plates on the dining-room table. Natsuki blushed lightly, and then noticed that there was now one other person in the small house with her and Shizuru.

"Yo, Natsuki," Yuuichi called out from the living-room with a hand raised in light greeting, before he went back to flipping idly through tv channels, from his seat on the couch before the tv set.

"Yo...Yuuichi," Natsuki replied with a small wave of her own, and a quizzical look at Shizuru's brother.

Shizuru noticed the look and chuckled lightly.

"I told Yuuichi to be a gentleman, and behave himself around you. I love him dearly, but I don't want or need the over-protective brother bit he's been playing, ever since we met you," Shizuru said with a light smile, as she set a few utensils down on the table.

Natsuki nodded and then surprised Shizuru with a quick hug. The chestnut-haired girl blinked briefly, before a warm smile crossed her lips.

The navy-haired girl then pulled back from the hug, and Shizuru's grin grew slightly as she watched a cutely-fidgeting Natsuki.

"Thanks for having me over today. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet your parents. I have to get home now before my own parents begin to worry," Natsuki said as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder. Suddenly what she'd just said clicked something into her mind.

"Hey Shizuru, you've only ever mentioned your Mom. Where is...do you live with...ahh...this suddenly seems like kind of an awkwardly personal question," Natsuki stammered out with a bright blush, as she lightly rubbed the back of her head in mild embarrassment.

Shizuru smiled softly at Natsuki, as she began walking the dark-haired girl towards the front door.

"It's okay, Natsuki. You can ask me anything you want. I promise to always try to answer anything that you ask, to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, I can't really answer that question you asked myself. I'm not really sure just _where_ my Dad is, and Mom is always pretty secretive about giving me an answer. I figure someday she'll tell me though, so I don't push her. She's an amazing woman and mother, so I don't really miss not having a dad around...much," Shizuru answered with a light smile, that didn't quite reach all the way up to her eyes.

Natsuki nodded her head, regretting having asked the question, and resolved to take Shizuru's mind off of any sad thoughts she may be having now, because of her questions.

Shizuru let out a small surprised gasp as she felt a soft warm pressure on the side of her cheek, and she slowly raised her hand to press against the spot that Natsuki's lips had briefly touched.

Natsuki's face was lit up brighter than a Christmas tree, and she was fidgeting badly on the front steps before Shizuru's front door.

"That was for all the help you've given me today. And for...just...well...just because! I'll see you in school tomorrow! Goodnight, Shizuru!" With that Natsuki ran off, her face still burning but a small smile playing across her face, as her lips tingled where they had pressed against Shizuru's soft cheek.

**~o~o~o~**

"I can't _believe_ the school is having this stupid parent-teacher-student meeting, and we all have to be here," Nao groused as she knocked back a cup of juice, while standing beside her two best friends at the refreshment table.

"Well, the faculty and principal wanted to have a kind of 'informal meeting' with the parents and students, so we _had_ to be here," Mai said, as she sipped her own juice from a small glass cup.

"I agree with Nao. This _is_ pretty lame," Natsuki grumbled, as she leaned against the refreshment table.

"My my, Natsuki should show a little more school spirit," a soft Kyoto-ben accented voice spoke up, and Natsuki immediately straightened up and looked forward. She couldn't fight the small, happy grin that crossed her lips as she watched Shizuru walk towards her, with Yuuichi, Alyssa, and a midnight-blue haired woman in tow.

As Natsuki watched Shizuru walk closer to her, she found her emerald-green eyes magnetically drawn to the dark-haired woman following behind Shizuru. There seemed to be something...almost familiar about the woman. The way that the woman's own emerald-green eyes glittered in the brightly-lit room. The way her short, raven locks curled up at the base of her neck. Something almost seemed to _scream_ at Natsuki as _very_ important about this woman, but her attention was dragged away as her parents came to stand beside her.

"Ah Natsuki dear, I see that you've found all of your friends. Why don't you introduce them and their parents to us? After all this is supposed to be a 'meet-and-greet'," Kimiko Fujino said in her soft Kyoto-ben, as she and her husband came to stand beside their daughter.

Ichiro Fujino found his eyes being drawn just like Natsuki's had been, to the ebony-haired woman behind a young girl who looked surprisingly a lot like his wife. In fact the young girl looked _strikingly_ like his wife did when she was much younger. And the dark-haired woman, who was now talking with one of Natsuki's red-haired friends, looked so much like...no...it _couldn't_ be. It just couldn't!

Ichiro prided himself on being an incredibly sharp and brilliant man. He was able to pick up almost immediately on things and details, that most others would take much longer to realize or not get at all.

And right now the detail that was practically _flashing_ in his face like a bright red ALERT sign, caused him to take a slightly unsteady step forward, and raise his hand towards Shizuru's face. This caused the honey-haired girl to immediately turn his way, her ruby-red eyes staring curiously at him.

"Excuse me, ahh...my dear," Ichiro suddenly found himself at a small loss of words, which was _not_ something that happened to him...ever.

His wife glanced over at him in concern, as did Natsuki. The ebony-haired girl had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she felt like rushing forward and stopping whatever it was her father was trying to say.

She could just _feel_ that whatever was going to come out of his mouth next, would irrevocably change her life...again.

Ichiro wet his dry lips and cleared his throat, as he once again tried speaking.

"My young miss...are you...could you possibly be...I think that maybe...dammit! Young lady, I think that you may be my biological daughter!"

The sound of a glass shattering on the floor beneath them, was the only sound heard after that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong> - A HUGE thank you to those who read and took the time to review my last chapter. You gave me the drive I needed to complete this new chapter ^^

Also could you guys _please_ review to tell me if you like this story or not. I got a couple...unflattering...reviews last chapter because the plot is so 'different', and so I would just like to know if the rest of you would like to see this story continued. Thanks ^^


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